I'm still stitching along and working on a Handmade Christmas. This week I've been busy each day but haven't seemed to make as much progress as I had hoped. I guess I just made too many mistakes and spent too much time ripping out instead of all my time successfully constructing. Some days are just like that, though.
- What I've Been Working On -
This has been a week of stitching up bags for boys. The guys don't seem to have so much paraphernalia to carry around in zip pouches and totes as our girls do. I still want to give them a little something hand-made by me. I want it to be purposeful, though. In talking to one of the grandsons, I learned that he does like to keep some of his treasures contained in a bag - maybe it is to hide from his siblings. At any rate, I feel a bit more challenged when coming up with a useful pouch or bag for the guys. I am satisfied with what I landed on, though.
Each one will be getting a toiletry bag made from upcycled denim. I had two or three pair of the Mister's jeans ready to be donated or trashed. The jeans had grown threadbare or had a worn hole in them. So, I followed a trend that I've seen online and cut them up and upcycled them. Knowing that the denim might be a bit bulky around a zipper and in the seams. I added a contrast patterned fabric to them like I had started with these pencil pouches. I used the same thread color for their monograms that I had for the pouches as well. I have kind of a love/hate relationship with sewing on denim. The bulkiness is a cause of frustration. Sometimes the details of a particular design don't come through on the twill fabric as nice as I would like either. The bigger the design, the better the details seem to look, though. I do like how it sort of holds its structure for the boxy bags. I also like how it coordinates with any other fabric well. I like how it looks good when using the 'right' side of the fabric as well as the 'wrong' side. Most of all, I like the fact that it was free and I saved it from going into the trash.
I added to the guy's pencil pouch and toiletry bag by stitching up a smaller, coin-sized pouch out of the companion fabric. I tried to make one with the denim but it was just too bulky and that effort wound up in a little wad in the trashcan. For two of them, I appliqued a shape onto the bag and monogrammed within the circle or square.
I also added a smaller pencil pouch for each one. I just purchased a design that I thought was cute and wanted to try something out with it. The design features a pencil tip and eraser. Then, there is a thin, cute font that is intended to spell out a name or something between the two. I wanted to see if I could substitute a different font between the two ends. It worked! I used the same font that I had been using for the guys' other pouches. I also used a new tutorial for creating a triangular pouch that was really pretty simple. Then, I added a loop and a D-ring so that it could be clipped to a backpack or inside a notebook.
I was inspired to try the new tutorial and pattern because I stumbled upon it when I was looking for instructions I had used for a pouch for one of the granddaughters back in the summer. (I was informed yesterday that she uses the smaller pouch every day for cough drops and chap stick storage for school.) For the third grandson, I used the same pattern that I had used for hers. This time I added a denim patch applique and added the monogram.
I think the sets for the guys are almost as good as the ones I've been creating for the granddaughters.
- What I've Been Reading -
I started reading In Another Life by Imogen Clark this week. Three grown children thought they knew everything about their mother until a woman sits beside them at the funeral and claims to be their aunt. So, one of the daughters decides to investigate.
This story is told through several characters. I'm not that far in but so far it is an interesting read.
- What I've Been Loving -
With the coming of cooler temperatures, well, with the exception of yesterday when it was pretty hot, we've been loving some of those comfort foods that one seeks in the fall. One morning I browned a package of ground beef, added some frozen mixed veggies, a can or two of diced tomatoes, and a package of vegetable soup mix - Knorr, I think. I left it on warm all day and it was absolutely delicious with cornbread for dinner.
Another day found me placing some thawed stew meat in the bottom of the crock pot and topping it with a mixture of cream of mushroom soup, a package of brown gravy mix, minced onions, and a soup can of water. It cooked low and slow in the crock pot all day and I cooked some egg noodles to mix with it for dinner and it was tasty, too.
I made a similar dish by layering cubed steak on the bottom, golden mushroom soup, brown gravy mix, minced onions, mushrooms, and a half of a soup can of water. Left that to cook on low and served it with rice. Again, warm comfort food at its finest!
Yesterday I left a pot of white beans and ham cooking low and slow all day. Then, fried up some hot water cornbread and we slurped up another warm comforting meal with very little fuss.
Today is a grey, cloudy day with an expected high in the fifties. So, tonight is a chili night. Leftovers will be good for a football Saturday tomorrow! Hope you have a nice weekend.
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